CONSTRUCTION of an advanced treatment facility by
The addition of a brine treatment plant has reduced the volume of salts in the effluent water enabling it to be stored safely. A series of brine water treatment tanks were constructed using precast concrete panels, joined and grouted on site.
The treatment plant has enabled the mine to produce positive clean water balance that are pumped to Ingwe dam, a natural dam within the mine perimeters that receive treated water and propel it to processing plants and to the dechlorination plant where water is made clean and safe for human consumption, the remaining water balance is discharged to Mara and Tigithe rivers.
The release of safe water to
It is an important feature for
The lower
The Mara's importance to the Serengeti is multiple, the river is a year-round, , source of water for the Serengeti's ecosystems, contributes to the local climate, is a key geographic feature for it is the only reliable source of water for the largest overland migration in the world of 1.2 million wildebeest, and it sustains large populations of many other wildlife species.
Before putting in place the modern water treatment plant,
The treatment facility translates the commitment by Barrick Chief Executive Officer and President
According to Barrick's 2019 and 2020 Sustainability Reports, the company assumed operational control of North Mara in
The Mine's priority since then has been to restore the North Mara TSF to within its design capacity and eliminate the excess water. As a first step, Barrick undertook a hydro census to determine if any impacts had occurred to community water sources that required remedy.
"While undertaking the hydro census, we deployed evaporators at the extensive TSF pool. This allowed us time to develop and implement longer-term solutions. We invested approximately
The plant upgrade was completed in
TSF's functionality was restored back to design and legislated capacity in 2021, and reduced the volume of water on the TSF from 7.0Mm3 in 2019 to below 0.6 Mm3 to date.
A blessing to hosting community
Production of safe and clean water balance due to investment on modern water treatment facilities, will soon release a burden of water problem in the villages surrounding the mine. The water treatment plant has made it possible for the mine to produce enough water that will be supplied to Matongo water project worth
A 300,000 liters tank is under construction at Mjini kati village, which on completion the project will benefit 70,000 people from four villages of Matongo, Mjini kati, Nyangoto and Nyabichune in Matongo ward, Tarime district.
"This has come to us as a miracle, having tap water was a far-fetched dream, there was no hope in sight, the coming of this project is really a blessing for us," says
Through its community engagement plan, the mine and Lake
LVBWB is a government organ established in the year 2000 in accordance with Water Utilization and Allocation Act 1974. The board has the mandate of managing water resources within the basin as guided by the Water Resources Management Act number 11 of 2009.
Its key functions are water resources assessment and monitoring, water resources allocation and water sources protection and pollution control. During the 2022 second quarter water quality testing in the mine and water sources outside the mine, community and village leaders, were taken through the water treatment processes.
They commended North Mara for the initiative of making certain that water used in the mining process does not harm people and environment but more importantly treated and recycled for human consumption.
"Our community has had a long raid perception that all water from the mine are poisonous as a representative of the people I have received information and seen how the water treatment works, this is the new turn the mine has taken, after seeing how those plant works I don't expect any untreated water or uncontrolled discharge from the mine to the environment,' says David Nyamhanga, Matongo village chairman.
He adds that after witnessing the treated water is also used by mine workers in their residential camp within the mine, he believes the mine has a solution for the water problem in Tarime district council.
"You could even cover the whole district council, the water can meet that demand," he said.
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